Why Having Bored Kids Is A Good Thing

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"I'm BORED!!!!!"

It's a phrase every parent dreads hearing and seems to raise its' ugly head repeatedly over summer break. Some parents respond with knee jerk reactions shoving the closest electronic device into their poor child's hands in an attempt to prevent said boredom. Quiet kids = peaceful home, right?

NO! As a parent of four, I hear the "I'm bored" complaint my fair share each day but instead of panicking and pacifying them with a tablet or phone I look them straight in the eye and say "It's about time! Now you are ready to create something really fun to do! Boredom doesn't scare me! I love when you are bored because you are finally to a point where you are ready make or do something awesome that you create on your own."


Now I know this response will probably elicit a massive eye roll, and dramatic sigh from your child but wait - Just Wait. The best IS yet to come. It just takes time and some practice.

Your child will eventually find their inner curiosity and imagination that so often gets snubbed out by over scheduled play dates, structured sports practice and electronic devices. Your job is not to play cruise director or entertainment specialist. Instead, be an encourager and challenge your child to make something or draw something or make up a game. Kids who haven't been exposed to this will balk at it at first possibly pouting, fighting against it and whining but once they do discover the art of making something fun to do on their own I promise it will be worth it - to you and them! Stick to your guns, momma - hide the ipad and hold firm. You are not scarring them for life if they feel a little bored!

As a mom I try to have some ideas in my back pocket to help "inspire" them. The inspiration I provide might be a pile of cool rocks and some paint and paintbrushes, cardboard boxes, notebooks, magnifying glasses, rope, scrap wood and tools. Children of all ages can find inspiration in these types of items, younger children just exploring how to use a tool or pile up a stack of rocks and older children actually creating or building something by using their imagination. Giving your child the opportunity to use a real hammer and nail (while supervised) is fun! Making anything out of cardboard, think castle, car or maybe a marble run, is a great way to bust the boredom of summer.

And Momma, don't be afraid to dig in deep and find your imagination and make something alongside your kiddo! Come up with a sculpture, game or even build a tent to play in - your child will love seeing mom's imagination come alive with theirs. Don't make something for them, that's their job, make something for you and then show your child what you made. They will love this!

Inspired by The Great Outdoors

Nature all on its own is just so inspiring. Collecting flowers, leaves, rocks and sticks and putting them in a notebook or on a poster is a fun way to display found treasures. Taking pictures like a close up of a bee on a flower or a worm wiggling in the grass provides loads of fun exploration time. How can your child be bored when they are fully engaged in the beauty of creation!

Remember, getting your child engaged with the great outdoors without structured/planned play takes some practice. You might have to lead the charge here and show them how to start if they haven't been exposed to this type of activity. Be ready, once they start to understand how to engage this part of their brains and lose themselves in imagination land it might be hard to get them to come inside at night for dinner or bedtime!

We have a small wooded area behind our house that to my boys becomes a playground every fall. I remember the first time I handed a hand saw to my oldest son and and directed him to saw a felled tree into chunks - he just lit up with the biggest smile every! My younger son even got a chance to saw a log in half too! You would have thought we were in Disney with the amount of joy and excitement these boys displayed. They gathered tall branches and stacked them up around a big tree and made a shelter to play in and used other branches to clear an area around our new "homestead". This was one of the most memorable afternoons ever!

If you need a little help finding ways to inspire your children to get busy making something I wrote the perfect book for you! Secret Garden Crafts: 10 Nature Inspired Craft Projects will certainly help you get your creative and imaginative juices flowing. Using items found in nature like sticks and leaves as well as craft supplies easily found around your house is all your need to make some of these fun projects. I recommend keeping any structure or planned playtime out of this activity and allow your child unencumbered exploration and creating. You can find this book on Amazon here:

click to purchase here

I hope these tips will help you survive the "I'm Bored" moments of summer break and get your kids engaged in outdoor activities that will inspire them and provide many hours of fun.  

Follow my blog to read more parenting ideas, tips and tricks! Surviving the suburbs can be a challenging job for parents but with a little help and inspiration you can do it! 

Let me know how you handle your child's moments of boredom - leave a comment below!